Maryland

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Mary Banning: One of the First Female Taxonomists in Mycology

Authored by Kate Wyer

This letter, written by Mary E. Banning to Charles H. Peck in March of 1890, outlines her continued attempts to find a publisher for her groundbreaking book on Maryland’s fungi. Peck was her mentor and a well-respected mycologist. However, even with his help, Banning couldn’t overcome the sexist norms within the larger field.

Mary Elizabeth Banning was born on April 6, 1822, on Maryland’s rural Eastern Shore. In her lifetime, she would discover and illustrate twenty-one new species of fungi. However, due to sexist gatekeepers in the sciences, she would die virtually unknown, unrespected, and in poverty. Elevating her story and accomplishments is an act of social justice, one in keeping with St. John’s Vincentian lens of transparency when one asks, “who determined what objects should be preserved for the purpose of communicating human knowledge as it exists within our cultural heritage institutions and whose perspective am I representing?” (Angel n.d., 5).

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The Historical Delaplaine

Authored by Olivia Shea

Delaplaine building before reconstruction

Courtesy of the Historical Society of Frederick County, the Mountain City Mill prior to construction of the Delaplaine (circa 1906? – 1958?)

The history of the building that the Delaplaine Visual Arts Education Center resides in is as remarkable as the Center itself. What began in 1850 as a whiskey refinery, and later a steam flour mill, now exhibits the art of national and international artists.1 The path from “Mountain City Mill” to “the Delaplaine” was a long and strenuous one. Since its initial use in 1850, the Mountain City Mill has succumbed to two devastating fires, changed owners several times, and faced various funding controversies.2

Yet, despite these obstacles, the Delaplaine Visual Arts Education Center was officially opened to the public in 1993.3 To this day, the Delaplaine strives to offer “art for the masses”.4 The mission of the Delaplaine is to “provide the greater Frederick community with opportunities to participate in the creation and appreciation of visual arts and crafts”.5 Art is capable of providing an inclusive forum through which the communication of thoughts, feelings, and ideas can be shared. The Delaplaine does not censor the artwork it displays, therefore giving a voice to all members of the community in an open forum. In this respect, the Delaplaine is an exemplification of the Vincentian core values of respect and truth. By leaving art uncensored and promoting art without bias, the Delaplaine both refuses the ethically controversial practice of censorship and promotes an awareness for all individuals, and artists, in the community. Hence, the official vision statement of the Delaplaine is simply “Everyone deserves art”.6

The strongest account of Vincentian principles at the Delaplaine is apparent in the image above. The image of the Mountain City Mill prior to renovation is indicative of the change that can be accomplished through human excellence and a dedication to serving the community. As Holly writes, “[workers] in the [Mountain City Mill] never could have imagined that 100 years hence paintings would hang on gleaming white walls and sculptures would sit on bleached-wood floors”.7 What remains of the old mill today is a framed flour bag hanging on the wall adjacent to the main exhibition room, which last year alone had 81,870 visitors.8

1Brooke Elizabeth Gleason, A Del ightful History (Frederick, MD: The Delaplaine Visual Arts Education Center).

2Karen Gardner, “Delaplaine Receives a Piece of History,” The Frederick News Post, last modified August 30, 2015, http://www.fredericknewspost.com/places/local/frederick_county/frederick/delaplaine-receives-a-piece-of-history/article_3853b5cc-851d-5235-8a08-e20b3dc1dc50.html

3 Gleason, A Del ightful History.

4Susan Holly, “Home is Where the Art is,” Frederick Premiere, 1994, 15.

5Community Bridge (Frederick, MD: Shared Vision), 27.

6“Mission & History,” Delaplaine.org, last modified 2015, http://delaplaine.org/about/mission-history/

7 Holly, “Home is Where the Art is”, 13.

8“Annual Report ’15,” Delaplaine.org, last modified 2015, http://delaplaine.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Annual-Report-FY15.pdf

 

Bibliography

“Annual report ’15.” Delaplaine.org. Last modified 2015.  http://delaplaine.org/wp-content

      /uploads/2016/02/Annual-Report-FY15.pdf

Community bridge. Frederick, MD: Shared Vision. 1995.

Gardner, Karen. “Delaplaine Receives a Piece of History.” The Frederick News Post. Last modified

     August 30, 2015. http://www.fredericknewspost.com/places/local/frederick_county/

     frederick/delaplaine-receives-a-piece-of-history/article_3853b5cc-851d-5235-8a08

     -e20b3dc1dc50.html

Gleason, Brooke Elizabeth.  A Del ightful History. Frederick, MD: The Delaplaine Visual

      Arts Education Center.

Holly, Susan. “Home is Where the Art is.” Frederick Premiere, 1994.

“Mission & history.” Delaplaine.org. Last modified 2015. http://delaplaine.org/

      about/mission-history/